Recording device.



No. 724,167. P-ATENTED MAR. 31, 1903.

J. 0. DEGKERT, G. H. MANN & H. A. 'PRIZER.

RECORDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1902.

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No. 724,167. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903. J. 0; DEGKERT, 0'. H. MANN & H. A. PRIZBR.

RECORDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16. 1902.

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Swuewtom Q/vitumwo UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

I JOSEPH O. DECKERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, CHARLES H.

MANN, OF l-IADDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY, AND HARRY A. PRIZER, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RECORDING DEVICE.

sEEcI'FICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,167, dated March 31, 1903.

briginal application filed June 13, 1902, Serial No. 111,467. Divided and this application filed August 16, 1902. Serial No. 119,867- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH 0. DECKERT, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, CHARLES H.

MANN, residing at Haddonfield, in the county of Camden, State of New Jersey, and HARRY A. PRIZER, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, all citizens of the United States, have invented IO a new and useful Improvement in Recording Devices, of which the following is a specification, this application being a division of our application filed J une 13, 1902, Serial No. 111,467, patented November 18, 1902, No. 713,613.

Our invention consists of an improved recording device, and has for its object to pro vide means for facilitating the recording matter under different items or headings and at the same time to make a duplicate copy thereof.

The invention also consists of novel details of construction, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a recording device constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 represents a horiz'ontal section thereof, partially broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the frame carno the duplicating means in place and partially broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary View of an end portion of the frame carrying the duplicating means, on an enlarged scale. Fig.- 9 represents a sectional View of the corner portion thereof, taken on the scale shown in Fig. 6. Similar numerals of reference indicate cor responding parts in the figures.

way bill, while the duplicate thereof is keptin the sending-office. In making out these way-bills an attendant calls out the identifying-marks on each package, together with the destination, 850., but promiscuously as he handles the difierent packages, so that the clerk in making out the way-bills as at present has a number of loose way-bills, corresponding to the diiferent stations, upon which the necessary matter is written as the same is called out by the attendant. This necessitates loss of time anda great inconvenience, and it is further necessary after the way-bills have been made out to copy the same, so that the way-bill may be sent with the goods. By

our invention we contemplate not only making a duplicate copy of the way-bill simultaneously with the making out of the original copy, but also to facilitate the making of the original, and to accomplish this we employ a plurality of movable members suitably supported normally one above the other and which are provided with the duplicating means. These members are independently movable, so that while they normally stand one above the other any one can be moved to one side of the normal position, so that the recording-sheet carried thereby can be Written upon, it being understood that in writing upon the uppermost recording-sheet a copy is made upon the next one below by reason of the fact that between the said two sheets is situatedtheduplicating means. 'Thusawaybill for each station may be carried by each of these members, while, if necessary, one

member may carry a plurality of way-bills, according to the business of the station. In this way, as the attendant calls out the identifying-marks and destination of the different express-packages, the clerk can quickly move the number carrying way-bill corresponding to the station to one side of the others, and make the necessary record thereon, and at the same time make a duplicate and readily return this movable member to its original position, and move another member carrying the way-bill of another station to the writing position, asoccasion requires. Then when the entire shipment is closed all that is necessary is to remove the way-bills and forward them at once on the train carrying the express matter without necessitating the delay caused by making the copies, while at the same time it obviates the expense of the labor necessary in making these copies.

In the drawings we have shown a convenient form of apparatus embodying our invention which may be carried by a main frame or casing 1, having a plurality of compartments 2, and guide-ledges 3, extending along the sides thereof from the outer edge of each compartment. Situated within each of these compartments 2 and resting upon the ledges 3 are the movable members 4:, which, as shown in Fig. 5, may conveniently consist of trays fitting within said compartments and having lateral projections or guide-pins 5 attheirinner ends, situated within the guide-grooves 6 in the sides of said compartments. I The forward ends of these guide-grooves are closed, so that when the member is drawn out to its full extent said projections or pins 5 engage the front ends of the guide-grooves 6 to prevent the withdrawal of the member 4 from the front end of the compartment, while at the same time it allows the member to be tilted downwardly or inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, so that it forms a convenient writing-table, it being noted that said members t are provided with finger-pieces 7 at their outer ends to manipulate the same. Although the said movable members may consist of any convenient supporting-frame, we have shown them in the form of a tray, in the botttom of which can be placed a plurality of sheets 8, Fig. 6, upon which is placed the sheets upon which the copy of the original way-bill is made by the duplicating means. The duplicating means 9 may consist of any approved device for this purpose, such as an ink-impression sheet or carbon-paper, and is carried by a frame 10, that fits within the tray of member 4, the outer edge of the frame being conveniently provided with the down turned flange 11, that conveniently rests upon the sheets 8, as shown in Fig. 6, while parallel with this outer flange and along the inner edge of the frame is the inner flange 12, which carries the duplicating means 9, conveniently by a plurality of spurs 13, Fig. 8, in the outer side of said innerfiange 12, upon which said duplicating-sheet 9 is hooked. It

will thus be seen that the duplicating means 9 forms with the flange 12 a sort of receptacle, and extending inwardly at the corners of the frame 10 and from the upper side thereof are the corner-plates 14, that overlap said receptacle, while at the inner end thereof and between the sides is an overlapping lip 15. At the forward end of the frame 10 is a fingerpiece 16, by means of which the frame can be raised, which when the frame is in place within the member 4 projects through the notch 17 in the front edge of said member.

The operation is as follows: When the device is in use, each'of the movable members 4: may be provided with a plurality of sheets 8, that are supported upon the bottom thereof and upon which is placed the frame 10, carrying the duplicating-sheet 9. The sheet 18, upon which the original record is made, is placed within the frame 10, being bent as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6, to insert the same, while its corners are retained by the corner-plates 14, the overlapping projection 15 serving to aid in holding the sheet 18 in place. It is understood that any number of these movable members can be used in connection with each other as found desirable, and in using the samefor instance, in makin g out a way-bill--the said members will contain the sheets 8 below the duplicating-frame 10, while the original sheet 18 will be placed within each of said frames 10. The outer ends of the members at are provided with certain indicating characters to show the station or stations to which the way-bills belong, and then when the attendant calls the destination of the package the clerk draws the correct member outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, which exposes the original way-bill 18. Then the clerk can make the necessary items, at the same time making a duplicate copy upon the uppermost sheet 8 by means of the duplicating means carried by the frame 10. If the destination of the next package called out is for another station, the said movable member previously pulled out can be quickly returned to its place and the proper one withdrawn upon which the items can he made. It is thus that the movable members, the duplicating means, and the way-bills are movable together and that while ordinarily they are situated one above the other yet any one can be moved to one side independently of the others to expose the original way-hill, while by l'eason of the rotation upon the front end of the members the necessity of having separate and'disconnected waybills from which the proper one can be selected is obviated. When all of the waybills have been 'completed, all that is necessary is to raise the frame 10, carrying the duplicating means, and to remove the upper sheets 8 of the different members and immediately forward them with the train, thus obviating any delay after the packages have been itemized upon the way-bills. It is further understood that if the number of items are sufficient to fill up all the space on the way-bill all that is necessary is to remove the sheet 18 and the uppermost sheet 8, and then by inserting a new sheet 18 the member 4, carrying such sheet, will be ready for the purpose of filling out a new sheet.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the kind specified, a plurality of movable drawers suitably supported one above the other, means for tilting said drawers when the same are moved to one side of their normal position, and movable frames carried by each of said drawers and adapted to support recording devices.

2. In a device of the kind specified, a plurality of movable drawers suitably supported one above the other, and movable frames carried by said drawers and adapted to support recording devices, said frames being provided with finger-pieces or projections by means of which the same can be raisedand lowered relative to said drawers.

3. In a device of the kind specified, a plurality of movable drawers suitably supported one above the other and provided with notched edges, and movable frames carried by said drawers and adapted to support re-' cording devices, said frames being provided with fingerpieces or projections situated within said notches and by means of which said frames may be raised and lowered relative to said drawers.

JOSEPH O. DEOKERT. CHARLES H. MANN. HARRY A. PRIZER. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS. 

